


Snowbound

by AngelaSnape



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-24
Updated: 2010-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-11 05:52:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/109112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelaSnape/pseuds/AngelaSnape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when the Hogwarts Express is stopped by a mountain of snow?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snowbound

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [](http://leela-cat.insanejournal.com/profile)[**leela_cat**](http://leela-cat.insanejournal.com/) and [](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/profile)[**alisanne**](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/) for the beta. Their suggestions greatly improved this story. I wish I had time to take this prompt further, but alas, real life reared its ugly head. [](http://www.insanejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=lazy_neutrino)[**lazy_neutrino**](http://www.insanejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=lazy_neutrino), I hope you like this. Happy Holidays!

  
**Title:** Snowbound  
**Author:** [](http://angela-snape.insanejournal.com/profile)[**angela_snape**](http://angela-snape.insanejournal.com/)  
**Rating:** G  
**Word-count:** just under 1700  
**Pairings/characters:** Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Draco, Luna, Hannah &amp; Dobby  
**Summary:** What happens when the Hogwarts Express is stopped by a mountain of snow?  
**Warnings:** none  
**Author's notes:** Thank you to [](http://leela-cat.insanejournal.com/profile)[**leela_cat**](http://leela-cat.insanejournal.com/) and [](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/profile)[**alisanne**](http://alisanne.insanejournal.com/) for the beta. Their suggestions greatly improved this story. I wish I had time to take this prompt further, but alas, real life reared its ugly head. [](http://www.insanejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=lazy_neutrino)[**lazy_neutrino**](http://www.insanejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=lazy_neutrino), I hope you like this. Happy Holidays!

_   
**Fic Repost: Snowbound**   
_

**Snowbound**

  
The front wheel on the snack trolley squeaked as the old witch - or was she a Squib? - pushed it down the passageway. Harry slid the compartment door closed and leant against the seat-back. Through the window, he could see thick, fat flakes of snow falling from a steel-grey sky. Tree branches were already laden with sparkling snow and appeared as if they'd been iced by faeries. Harry was happy to be heading to the Burrow for the hols - he needed to get away from Hogwarts for a bit.

Hermione, as was her usual habit, had her nose buried in a book. At least it wasn't _Hogwarts: A History_, this time; it appeared to be a Muggle mystery novel. She leant against the window, one arm folded under her head as a pillow. Ron, on the other hand, was munching his way through a packet of cauldron cakes, and had a rustling bag of chocolate frogs on the seat between them for later. At least Lavender wasn't there - Harry didn't think he could take her presence for the entire ride to King's Cross.

Across from Harry, beside the door, was Neville, his potted _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ on the seat beside him. Harry watched the pulsing grey plant for a few moments as he thought back over the events of the past few days. Since the Slug Club Christmas party, he'd become suspicious of just about everyone other than those who shared his train compartment. He wondered briefly where Luna had got to, but nodded off before he could complete the thought.

Harry awoke when the train stopped abruptly.

*~*

  
"Where are we?" Harry asked, even as he reached for his wand.

Hermione cast a Location charm, and said, "We appear to be near Loch Dochard. We're still in the Highlands."

Harry moved to the window, which had fogged over in a way that reminded him of the Dementors' visit to the Express in third year. He used his sleeve to clear a spot and peered out. Gripping his wand, Harry tried to suppress the shudder that threatened to course down his spine at the memory.

"The snow is falling pretty heavily," he observed. "But I can't see anything else."

Hermione slid open the compartment door and peeked out into the passageway. "Malfoy's coming," she said, pulling her head back inside.

"Potter," Malfoy sneered as he stopped at their open doorway. Instead of robes, he wore the black suit and polo neck he'd been favouring that year.

"Malfoy."

"What did you do this time?" Malfoy accused. "I am expected at the Manor for supper tonight."

"How could the train stopping possibly be my fault?" Harry stepped in front of Malfoy, his right hand gripping the handle of his wand.

Before Malfoy was able to answer, Luna came running down the passageway. "Come quickly," she gasped, "Hannah's been injured."

Hermione grabbed her bag and, moving around Malfoy, pulled Harry along with her.

"What happened?" Harry asked as he and Hermione followed Luna back up the passageway, not seeing the curious faces that watched them as they went by.

"When the train stopped, a box fell from the overhead rack. It hit her on the head, and she's bleeding quite badly," Luna explained. "I'm pretty sure it was Nargles."

"_Loony_," muttered Malfoy from behind them. Harry hadn't realized that Malfoy had followed them.

"Of course, Luna," said Harry.

"Are there any professors on board?" asked Hermione.

"The professors don't normally ride the Express," drawled Draco.

"Professor Lupin did," retorted Harry.

"Professor Fleabag, you mean?"

"That's _enough_, Malfoy," said Hermione.

They'd arrived at Luna and Hannah's compartment, closer to the front of the train. It was cooler here, with a slight breeze as if a door or a window was open. Hannah was lying on the seat, a handkerchief pressed to her scalp.

"We need to see if we can stop the bleeding," said Hermione as she rummaged in her bag.

"Do you know any first-aid spells?" asked Harry.

"Technically, since we're not at Hogwarts, and we're not seventeen yet, we aren't supposed to perform magic," said Hermione in that tone of voice that made Harry feel as if he really didn't know anything about magic and the Wizarding world.

"Can't we use it in an emergency?" asked Ron, who'd trailed along after them. Neville stood behind Ron, looking worried.

Hermione answered Ron with a look that said, _"Don't be stupid, Won-Won. Oh, sorry, too late…"_

"What about the seventh years?" suggested Neville. "They're allowed to use magic."

Hermione gingerly lifted the handkerchief from Hannah's wound. "I don't think it's as bad as it looks. We can use this handkerchief as a compress and hold it in place with this Spellotape - unless there's an emergency kit here somewhere."

"We should check the rest of the train," Harry said as he looked around at the students gathered in the passageway. "See if anyone else has been injured. And whether the train is going to start going again."

"I'll check the Slytherin compartments," said Draco, who turned on his heel and headed towards the back of the train.

"I'm going to check the front of the train," said Harry. "I have a feeling that something's gone wrong. We should have at least heard from the prefects by now."

"I'll go with you, Harry," said Ron.

"Why don't you and Neville go check on some of the other compartments, Ron?" suggested Harry. "I'll be fine. Really."

Ron agreed, and followed Neville back towards the compartments in the middle of the Express.

*~*

  
At the front of the train, Harry discovered the reason for the cooler temperature outside Luna's compartment. The train's engine and the first car - the prefects' car - had been disconnected from the rest of the train; the connecting door swung on its hinges.

Harry peered out through the opening, and saw that the big, black locomotive had been buried under a mountain of snow.

"The students' cars would have been disconnected as a safety feature," said Hermione from behind him.

"Is that in _Hogwarts: A History_?" asked Harry with a teasing smile.

"Really, Harry," began Hermione. "If you'd only…"

"Yes, yes," said Harry. "If I'd only read more books, if I'd only pay more attention in class, if I'd only listened to _you_…"

Hermione just looked at him in response. Her bushy hair moved a bit in the breeze. Harry shut the door, and headed back towards Luna's compartment.

*~*

  
Harry looked around at the students gathered in Luna's compartment. Draco stood in the doorway, not quite part of the group, but not leaving either. Neville was seated with Hannah's head in his lap, absentmindedly stroking her forehead. Luna and Hermione stood near the window. Ron was on the other seat, alternately glancing at Hermione and the floor. Lavender was nowhere to be seen.

"So, it looks like we were lucky," said Harry. "With the exception of Hannah, there were no other injuries. Now what?"

"The only adults on board are in the engine, which is currently buried under a mound of snow," said Neville.

"If only Scotland had Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," said Luna in a dreamy voice, her radish earrings swaying as she talked. "They'd help us!"

"Obviously, we can't dig out the engine by ourselves," said Draco. "If only we had some house-elves…"

Before Hermione could begin her standard house-elf emancipation speech, Dobby appeared in front of them. The elf wore no less than three hats atop his wrinkled head, the maroon jumper Ron had given him in fourth year, one fuchsia pink sock, and one lime-green sock with bright orange stars on it.

"Harry Potter! Dobby is being here to help you, sir," said the elf. He peered up at them with his bulbous eyes, an expectant look on his face.

"Thanks, Dobby," said Harry. "But I'm pretty sure it'll take more than one of you to dig out the locomotive so we can go home."

"Dobby will get others. Many more house-elves are living at Hogwarts." At that, the elf disappeared with a pop.

"We should get a message to Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione. "Do you think Dobby will think to inform him of the accident?"

"Possibly," said Harry. "I'll send Hedwig as a backup. She hasn't been out flying much lately."

Harry returned to his compartment, scribbled a note to the Headmaster on a scrap of parchment, and tied it to the snowy owl's leg. He took her to the door at the end of the train car and sent her off to Hogwarts.

When he returned to the front of the train, he saw that Dobby had returned, and there were dozens of tea towel-clad house-elves clearing snow away from the Hogwarts Express locomotive. Hermione stood nearby, looking as if she wanted to stop them, but Harry laid a hand on her shoulder, saying, "They _want _to help us. Besides, we all just want to get home for Christmas, don't we?"

Hermione nodded, put on her hat and gloves, and went outside to help the elves.

*~*

  
The train rocked a little on the tracks as it made its way toward London; the clacking sound the wheels made was the background for their little gathering.

Neville and Hannah sat together, thighs pressed together and fingers entwined. Hannah's head was resting on Neville's shoulder. Luna and Ron were leaning against the compartment's window, conversing in low tones. Across from Neville and Hannah, Draco and Hermione were sitting, not touching, but not killing each other, either.

Harry leant against the doorframe, watching as cups of pumpkin juice from the snack trolley were emptied, and Ron's chocolate frogs were shared among all.

The Hogwarts Express' whistle blew, signalling their imminent arrival at King's Cross Station. Draco stood, and brushed off the lapels of his jacket.

"You do realize that everything returns to normal after the hols, don't you Potter?" Draco said as he passed by on the way back to his compartment.   
Harry didn't say so, but the thought of going back to normal, _their_ normal, made him a little sad.

*~End~*


End file.
